Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Release date, specs, features

Very soon we will witness two highly anticipated devices, Apple's iPhone 6 and Samsung's Galaxy Note 4, battling it out for supremacy.

The specs of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 are surfacing more and more frequently as the estimated launch date nears. There have been numerous reports and rumors claiming to reveal the release date, features, specs, etc. To help Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) fans save time, below is a round-up of all the latest news available on their favorite device.Expected specs of the Galaxy Note 4

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 will supposedly have a 5.7-inch super AMOLED display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution (500+ ppi) screen along with a flexible display, though none of this has been confirmed yet. Additionally, the phone is expected to run on a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor that clocks in at 2.5GHz, come packed with 3 GB RAM, and run on the latest Android OS version, 4.4.3 KitKat, or possibly Android 4.5 Lollypop.

Generally, Samsung increases the RAM regularly in its Note series, so it is possible that the Note 4 will have up to 4 GB of RAM. The Galaxy Note 4 could also feature an S-Pen stylus with better gesture and air command. The Galaxy Note 4 could also be armed with QHD resolution, meaning that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will need to deliver something of real quality with the iPhone 6.

Kyushik Hong, VP of marketing for Samsung’s LSI business, told CNET that the company is very actively working on 64-bit chips right now. The Galaxy S5 does not come with a 64-bit chip, which increases the possibility that it will debut in the Galaxy Note 4.

Will Samsung downgrade its camera?

A recent report stated that the Korean electronics giant might actually downgrade the number of pixels in the camera for the Galaxy Note 4. However, chances of the company doing this are low for more than one reason. The company has a history of upgrading its camera every year, which is evident in its Galaxy Note 3 sporting a 13-megapixel camera, compared to the 8-megapixel camera of the Galaxy S series. The trend makes it hard to believe that the South Korean manufacturer would reduce the number of pixels in the upcoming phone.

Also both Apple and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) are due to release their respective flagship smartphones around the time of the release of the Galaxy Note 4. This implies that Samsung will have to catch up with its competitors on every front, and downgrading the number of pixels in the camera at this stage of the game would not be intelligent.

Many reports suggest that the Galaxy Note 4 will sport a 20-megapixel or at least a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. Earlier, there were some speculations that the company will use a 16-megapixel camera with ISOCELL technology and 4K video recording and a 2-megapixel front camera with 1080p video recording. AnTuTu benchmark listing suggested that the Galaxy Note 4 may have a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 3.6-megapixel front-facing camera.Two versions for different markets

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to debut in two versions, with one powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 processor integrated with the Krait 450 CPU and the Adreno 420 GPU and the other version powered by an Exynos 5433 8 Core processor that has ARM’s Mali-T760 GPU. A report from Sam Mobile stated that the company will use an Exynos 5433 chip in its Note 4 version for Europe, whereas versions to be sold in North America, Korea, China and Japan would get a Snapdragon 805 processor.Suspense over release date

The Galaxy Note 4 is set to release in September, and according to Android Geeks, the most probable date of its release is Sept. 3 with an invitation sent out to media in mid-August. The Korea Times suggested that the device will debut at the upcoming annual IFA trade fair in Berlin, which is scheduled from Sept. 5 to 10.

According to a senior vice president of Samsung’s product strategy team, Yoon Han-kil, the company is moving in the direction of launching a new version of the Galaxy Note with a “new form factor” in the latter half of the year.

It was also reported recently that retailers around the world are clearing off their shelves of the Galaxy S4 and the Note 3 to welcome the Galaxy Note 4 in September. Blutek, which is a popular seller on eBay, offered some alluring deals to its customers, selling the unlocked versions of the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 for $349.99 and $469.99, respectively.Patent reveals multi-screen phone

According to ZDNet Korea, the Galaxy Note 4 will have a flexible display, and over it, the phone will have a three-sided screen which would enable the user to read notifications from any side. A patent reveals that the phone could have a multi-sided screen and buttons for the camera, email, and settings. The back button could be placed on one side to facilitate easy access.

What comes as the most interesting of all the news is that the company may integrate a 4K display for its smartphone, with the resolution of a 27-inch monitor.Battle with Apple

What makes the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 release date more interesting is that its launch is expected to be sometime around the iPhone 6 release date. The reaction and response of Apple will only be known after the launch, but it will certainly be worth watching. The battle between Samsung and Apple will be even fiercer if the Cupertino-based company launches the iPhone 6 phablet at same time Samsung launches the Galaxy Note 4.

Actually, the challenge here is for Samsung, which will have to surprise users with Galaxy Note 4 in terms of features and form factor and catch up with the increasing popularity of Apple’s iPhone. The camera has been a core area of improvement for Samsung for all these years, which could be reflected even in the Galaxy Note 4. Apple, however, goes easy on its camera features to some degree, which suggests that Samsung will try to keep itself ahead in terms of the camera.

Samsung will likely also launch other gadgets apart from the Galaxy Note 4 for household purposes. One of the executives from PC Advisor said that the South Korean company will launch the Galaxy Note 4 phablet, UHD OLED TVs, a Google Glass rival and home appliances at the upcoming IFA.